Ani Stafford-Townsend is the owner of the Milliners’ Guild which opened this weekend in the St James Arcade in Broadmead.

Milliners’ Guild is Bristol’s only hat shop, focusing on up-and-coming milliners and related makers from around the country.

The second floor of Milliners’ Guild houses the workshops of Ani (second from left, below), where she works on both fashion and theatrical millinery.

Here are Ani’s top-five Bristol favourites:

St Werburgh’s City Farm
“With a toddler I spend quite a lot of time there looking at ducks. But the cafe playground is also really lovely, with the added bonus of being able to have coffee and cake at the same time.”

Severn Beach Line
“I used to commute to Welsh National Opera in Cardiff and the ‘small train’ was a saviour. Although I normally ended up running for it because I live too close to the station to leave in enough time. The scenery is pretty nice if you go in the other direction too.”

Supper clubs
“I’ve been to the Bishopston Supper Club High Tea many times; they are death by cake. I also used to go the Montpelier Basement suppers, they were death by many, many courses finished off by posh rarebit. Pretty good way to go, I’d say.”

Bristol’s independent shops
“I love all the indie shops, especially the ones close to me on the Gloucester Road. Koolmami in St James Arcade is great for children’s clothes and I have a jealous eye on the plane seat in Eskimo Kids hairdressers. Alas, that seat is not for grown ups. Other favourites are the shops of the Christmas Steps Quarter, particularly Workshop 22, Shop and anywhere else that accepts the Bristol Pound or the Up Your Street gift card are good in my book.”

The Old Arcade
“Recently rebranded as the St James Arcade, it was built in 1825 and was the second only in the country. I used to visit the shops in the 1990s, back when it thrived and it’s been sad to see it in decline. But hopefully things are looking up for it and I’m very happy to be part of that process.”